Freedom and the Sovereignty of the Self

Thomas Jefferson was a guy who also talked about individual self-determination as the key to creating a better world.

He espoused the idea all men were endowed by God with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Too bad he left slaves off that list. He didn’t say much about women, either. I guess he wanted to leave some work for the rest of us.

Nevertheless, it is this idea of personal sovereignty that is at work in each of our lives, and its interaction with that of others determines how our relationships unfold and our common affairs are conducted.

One of the great challenges ahead for humanity is the battle between free will and personal sovereignty subordinated to the will of an all-powerful state, manipulated by those with a thirst for money, power or influence.

The United States was founded upon a principle of freedom based upon that sovereignty, a freedom that has been eroded by expanding national powers and the fickle will of an ever-changing majority that is too quick to trade it for this benefit or that protection.

As it stands, the weapon in that war is control, with each of us — as well as the state — ready, willing and able to impose its will to get its way. It is a game of power to see who will set our course and write the rules by which societies operate.

If we are to truly create peace in our world, then consciousness must expand so all will realize that free will must not be artificially restrained or our freedom of choice impinged.

For by definition, without free will there is oppression. And where there is oppression, there can be no peace. For those who are oppressed will never be at peace until they either choose to subordinate their will to that of their oppressor, or rise up and throw off their yoke to restore their sovereignty.

But such consciousness comes at a price, and that price is how we see ourselves and our relationship with the world.

For so long as we see ourselves as adversaries, where our interaction is a continual struggle to see who will get what, we’re locked into a definition of individuality that exists within the boundaries of our bodies and the need to serve ourselves.

If we are able to shift into a consciousness where free will is a function of the interrelationship of Self to all else, exercised by considering not only the interests of Self but the impact of our choice upon the free will of others, then we can begin to evolve to a place where peace finally becomes possible.

Until then, conflict will continue to be the common denominator of human relationships as individuals are pitted against each to get what they can while they can where one wins and another loses. And where for any reason one will can be imposed upon another — even for the supposed good of the whole as defined or mandated by a tyrannous majority — then peace cannot prevail.

But to have it requires we evolve into a new and better version of what we are now, one that is aware of what’s going on within us and its relationship to the lives we live and the outer world that affects them.

Moreover, not only must we evolve, but our systems of governance and the way we go about our affairs must evolve as well, replaced by a new sensitivity to how our wills interact in every moment, and with restraint not to use them to impair those wills in any or us.

Those who want to build a new world must be the vanguard of such an evolution, showing others how they can live without continual struggle to make life work or get their way.

If you are working to change the world or make tomorrow better than the present is today, then I recommend you examine where and how you assert your will, and how it interacts with the wills of others. If the enlightened ones can’t change, what hope is there for the rest of humanity?

Until then the battle for sovereignty will continue. No wonder some think Armageddon is coming, after which those supposedly too meek to fight shall inherit the earth — if they aren’t taken out in the process.

You don’t have to wait. You can create that new reality now. We’re here to help if you need it. Keep an eye out for some new ways we’ll be offering to help after the New Year.